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How is kaput universal? That's just a German word that some people might know, but most won't.
by lopis 3y ago
How is kaput universal? That's just a German word that some people might know, but most won't.
- OJFord 3y agoIt's at least as commonly used in English as say Yiddish words like klutz and schmuck.
- seabass-labrax 3y agoMy dictionary suggests that the noun 'Schmuck' in modern German comes from the Low German adjective 'smuk' meaning beautiful; I can't even find it in an exclusively Yiddish dictionary however.
- OJFord 3y agoOh sorry, I thought they were, but regardless I think kaput is used (in English) at least as much. Br vs Am maybe.
- lopis 3y agoYou'll be surprised to know that English is.. Not a universal language.
- OJFord 3y agoNo I won't, मैं हिंदी सीख रहा हूं, what's your point anyway? You realise I was responding to English speakers claiming a non-English word wasn't used/heard of in English with my own claim that it is?
- nonfamous 3y agoI have no idea, but pointing to some non-working thing and saying "kaput" gets action in any language. It was a tip I picked up back in the backpacking days, and it does seem to work.
- lopis 3y agoI accept your anecdote but it's still hardly a universal word. In how many languages did you try this?